Method of installing perimeter lighting about a liner type swimming pool

ABSTRACT

A method of securing elongated lengths of lighting track in the aggregate coping face of a liner type swimming pool. The method includes applying double sided adhesive tape to a shelf face of a form board utilized to define the cross-sectional contour of coping to be poured. The track is removably mounted adhesively against the tape and retained thereat until after curing of the aggregate has been completed. Following curing of the aggregate, the form board is removed to expose the face of the track in the face of the coping.

This application is a division of application No. 08/725,611 filed Oct.3, 1996, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,695,586.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The field of art to which the invention relates comprises the art ofinstalling elongated lengths of continuous lighting segments about theinternal perimeter of a liner type swimming pool.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It has long been a custom to provide lighting with swimming pools as anillumination aid for night swimming. Typically, the lighting has been ofthe incandescent variety secured and sealed behind a water proof lens atvarious locations below water level in a pool wall of concrete. Forms ofdeck lighting secured spaced about the decking has likewise been common.Recently, there has been a trend toward employing elongated strips offiber optic lighting either ancillary to or instead of the other formsof lighting previous utilized.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

Fiber optic strip lighting has recently become increasingly popular foruse in and about swimming pools. Such lighting is available fromcommercial sources and is generally comprised of elongated lengths of atransparent sleeve or envelope containing a longitudinal bundle ofgenerally parallel fiber optic strands. Whether extending continous orin separated segments about the internal pool perimeter, steprisers, orother concrete or tile face, its function is to introduce a safetyfactor in the form of enhanced illumination aid for night swimming.

Typically, past installations of such fiber optic strips has includedelongated channel sections defining a track in which the transparentsleeve and fiber optic strand elements extend and are exposed inwardtoward the pool. For mounting the channels in a concrete pool, they arepositioned against the tile or concrete surface about the internal poolperimeter at which they can be secured with double faced pressuresensitive tape and silicone caulking. A form of installation in whichthe track is secured in the concrete for positioning about the tile faceof an in-ground concrete pool is disclosed in my prior U.S. Pat. No.5,170,517 incorporated herein by reference.

In the case of a liner type pool, the choices of a placement site for alighting track has been more difficult to come by. That is, the linerfor such pools are typically comprised of a sheet of bead edge plasticcomposition. The liner is secured in place by a channel in which thebead is inserted as, for example, disclosed in my prior U.S. Pat. No.4,967,424 also incorporated herein by reference. The liner is securedvia the bead in, near or at the upper wall surface of the pool andusually requires periodic replacement. With the liner being replaceable,it is not feasible to locate any perimeter lighting against the liner orin another location where the lighting would interfere with removal orinstallation of the liner.

Despite recognition of the foregoing, it has not heretofore been knownhow to conveniently install perimeter lighting about a liner type pool.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the invention to provide a novel method forinstalling perimeter lighting about a liner type swimming pool.

It is another object of the invention to provide the method ofinstallation as in the previous object in which the installed lightingis at a site location that does not interfere with replacementrequirements of the liner.

It is yet another object of the invention to effect the previous objectsin a highly convenient, economical and expeditious manner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to an improved method for installing striplighting in and about a liner type swimming pool. More specifically, theinvention relates to installation of a lighting track for fiber opticstrip lighting by means of a method that is highly convenient,economical and expeditiously effected.

For achieving the foregoing, there is utilized a channel support trackconducive for concrete anchoring and of any desirable cross-sectionalconfiguration suitable to receive and retain strips of fiber opticlighting. The track may be of a type disclosed in my '517 patent,mentioned supra, that is positioned by means of a polystyrene form boardlikewise disclosed in my prior '517 patent. The form board is typicallyplaced against a vertical panel surface against which the liner is to bedraped and includes a contoured face to shape the concrete or otheraggregate comprising the coping to be poured about the pool.

For effecting installation of a lighting track in accordance herewith, ahorizontal shelf is formed in the form board at the coping level onwhich an extended length of double sided adhesive tape is applied. Afterpeeling off the protective layer of the tape, the tape remains in placeadhesively exposed. The open face of the lighting track is then pressedagainst the tape to be adhesively secured thereto. After securing theform board with track in place against a pool panel, aggregatecomprising the coping is poured and cured. The form board is thenremoved to expose the track anchored within the front face of thecoping. Thereafter, the lighting strip per se is slidably inserted inthe track and can be slidably removed for repair or replacement whenrequired.

The simplicity of installation for the lighting track in accordance withthe above can be appreciated in that only a strip of doublefacedadhesive tape is required to be placed on an otherwise utilized formboard for receipt of the lighting track to be installed. Thereafter, theform board positions the track during the pouring and curing of theaggregate such that on removal of the form board, the lighting track isexposed and ready for use.

The above noted features and advantages of the invention as well asother superior aspects hereof will be further appreciated by thoseskilled in the art upon reading the detailed description which followsin conjunction with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary isometric elevation view illustratingpositioning of the lighting track prior to the coping aggregate beingpoured thereover;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional elevation of the completedinstallation;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary isometric view representing a first step inpreparing the form board for receipt of the lighting track;

FIG. 4 represents the second and subsequent step in preparating the formboard for receipt of the lighting track; and

FIG. 5 represents the third and final step in preparing the form boardfor receipt of the lighting track.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In the description which follows, like parts are marked throughout thespecification and drawings with the same reference numeralsrespectively. The drawing figures are not necessarily to scale and incertain views, proportions may have been exaggerated for purposes ofclarity.

Referring now to the drawings, there is illustrated a rectangular shapedlight support track 10 that may be of any suitable cross-sectionalconfiguration. The track supports elongated longitudinal lengths offiber optic strips 12 above the interior perimeter of a pool wall face14 of panel 22. The fiber optic strips are of a type commerciallyavailable and are comprised of a plurality of longitudinal and parallelfiber optic strands 13 extending within a pliable soft and transparentplastic sleeve. Placement of the fiber optic strips within the channelof track 10 can be conducted either before or after the channel tracksupport is secured in place as will be understood. The entire channeltrack support is preferably formed of a suitable plastic such as moldedpolyvinyl chloride that includes anchors 52 and 54 and may, for example,be of a type disclosed in my prior '517 patent mentioned supra.

In accordance with the invention; the perimeter lighting hereof isprovided in association with a liner type pool that includes a liner 16having an upper peripheral bead 18 to be secured in a channel 20horizontally mounted on a pre-positioned wall frame 22. Frame 22 cantypically comprise sheet metal, fiberglass, molded P.V.C., etc.

Placement setting to mount the track support 10 is effected utilizing apolystyrene form board 24 as mentioned supra contoured at 26 tocross-sectionally shape the face 28 of, coping 30 when aggregate 56 ispoured and cured. Board 24 includes conventional vertically faced feet32 and 34 both of which receive an initial application of double sidedadhesive tape 36 for supporting the board in place against the verticalface 14 of wall frame 22. Longitudinally spaced laterally extendingclips 38 are embedded within the form board at a spacing of about everysix inches. The clips distally terminate laterally outward as a hook 40which when in place effect a secured mounting over ledge 42 of linerchannel 20. Also formed in the front face of board 24 for purposeshereof is an offset longitudinal shelf 44 that includes a verticalsurface 46 and a horizontal surface 49. A length of doublesided adhesivetape 48 is initially applied to surface 46. With angle shelf 44 havingpreviously been formed in form board 24, applying doublesided tape 48represents the first step of installing track 10 in accordance with theinvention.

The second step, as best seen in FIG. 4, comprises removing or peelingthe non-adhesive protective cover strip 50 from tape 48 so as to exposeadhesive surface 48 thereat. Thereafter, track 10 is placed onhorizontal surface 49 of shelf 44 and urged rearward until the openchannel face of track 10 secures against the adhesive face of tape 48.With the track channel in place, tapes 36 are likewise stripped of theirprotective cover and the unit is mounted against face 14 of wall frame22 in the manner illustrated in FIG. 1.

Once the aggregate for coping 30 has been poured and cured, the formboard 24 is removed from against panel face 14 leaving track support 10secured with anchor arms 52 and 54 buried in decking aggregate 56.Thereafter, lighting strip 12 can be easily slipped into track channel10 and from which it can be readily removed should repair or replacementbe required.

By the above description, there is disclosed a novel method ofinstalling a track for supporting elongated lengths of continuouslighting segments about the internal perimeter of a liner type swimmingpool. Novelty of the installation resides in the simplicity of steps inassociation with an otherwise utilized form board to shape the aggregatecoping about the pool. The mere use of double sided adhesive tape placedalong a vertical shelf of the form board enables the lighting track tobe supported during the pouring and curing of the coping aggregate. As aconsequence, a permanent track installation in association with a linertype swimming pool can be readily effected with a method of installationthat represents a height of simplicity yet leaves the underlying linertrack 20 exposed and clear for subsequent installation and/or removal ofthe liner 16 without interference.

Since many changes could be made in the above construction and manyapparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be madewithout departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all mattercontained in the drawings and specification shall be interpreted asillustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:
 1. In a swimming pool including a vertical wall, a support forsecuring a liner to be placed within the pool and an aggregate copingpoured and cured overlying the upper face of said wall, an elongatedlength of lighting track having walls defining a channel-like sectionwith a frontal opening behind which to contain a length of lightingelement exposed toward the pool and positioned in said coping whenuncured displaced from said vertical pool wall with the walls of saidtrack substantially surrounded by said coping to support said tracksubstantially in its entirety by the aggregate of said coping whencured.
 2. In a swimming pool in accordance with claim 1 in which saidlighting track is secured in said coping at a level displaced fromadjacent surfaces of said pool wall.